Among other functions, a network component, such as a network switch, routes or switches data from a source to a destination. For example, a network switch may receive network packets on one or more input ports and route or switch these packets to one or more output ports. Packets entering the switch may be subject to scheduling according to packet priorities and network communications protocols.
In this context, as packets are received, a switch processes the packets according to the packet priorities and protocols, so that the packets may be ultimately transmitted toward network destinations. In certain cases, the rate at which data enters a network component may exceed the network component's ability to process that data. In some cases, such as during prolonged data bursts, memory buffers may be relied upon to temporarily store data before it is processed. Even with the memory buffers, a network component may drop data packets if the rate at which the data enters the network component exceeds the network component's ability to process that data for a prolonged period of time, for example.